Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry headed to Rome on Wednesday to participate in the fifth edition of Mediterranean Dialogues forum on 6-7 December.
Shoukry is expected to give a speech on Egypt’s perspective and views on a number of regional and international issues.
The minister is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with a number of ministers and officials participating in the forum to discuss ways to develop bilateral relations and issues of common interest.
The Rome Forum for Mediterranean Dialogue was established in 2015 by a joint initiative of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Institute for International Studies, with the aim of launching a high-level debate between North and South Mediterranean countries on ways to address common challenges and opportunities for cooperation and development.
The forum is scheduled to take place this year with the participation of nearly 50 countries, with the presence of a large number of foreign ministers and representatives of international organisations, international figures in the political and research fields, representatives of the business community, and a number of heads of major international companies.
Moreover, Shoukry received on Tuesday the Vice-President of the Libyan Presidential Council Fathi Al-Majbari, to discuss the latest developments in Libya and ways to push forward the settlement of the Libyan crisis.
During the meeting, Shoukry discussed the Egyptian position on the Libyan crisis, affirming its keenness to preserve Libya’s unity and territorial integrity, and acting on the will of the brotherly Libyan people to control their resources and achieve their aspirations in building their state.
According to Shoukry, this will be achieved through a comprehensive and enforceable agreement based on addressing all aspects of the Libyan crisis, contributing to the fight against terrorist organisations and ending the chaos of militias in the capital Tripoli.
Al-Majbari praised Egyptian efforts at the level of ending the crisis and restoring security and stability in Libya.
He also briefed the latest developments of the situation on the Libyan scene, especially the current state of division within the Libyan Presidential Council, and the recent violations related to the mandate of the President of the Council in violation of the Skhirat Agreement.
Also on Tuesday, Shoukry discussed regional issues with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed on a phone call.
The two ministers agreed on the importance of working on accelerating the movement towards political solutions to the crisis situations in a way that achieves the aspirations of the Arab peoples in a decent life, while stressing the fight against terrorism, extremism, and preventing interventions in Arab affairs that have pushed sects of society, specifically the youth, into extremist thinking and groups.
The two ministers also agreed to intensify communication in the next stage with the international community and the parties concerned with stability in Libya to push things towards the desired political solution.
